Gameweek 33 brings both headaches and opportunities for FPL managers as several teams play twice. The double fixtures make prioritising players from the right squads crucial, with Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion, Burnley, Chelsea, Leeds United and Manchester City all on double duty.

Goalkeepers
Karl Darlow (£3.9m) stands out because of his low price and fixtures against Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) and Bournemouth (A). He has scored 16 points across his last three fixtures and looks nailed on for the remainder of the season. Gianluigi Donnarumma (£5.6m) also offers two fixtures, Arsenal (H) and Burnley (A), but his inclusion uses one of three Man City slots managers may prefer to spend on midfield and forward assets. Đorđe Petrović (£4.6m) is a Bournemouth alternative after three clean sheets in his last six outings versus Newcastle United (A) and Leeds (H).

Defenders
Bournemouth defenders Marcos Senesi (£5.2m) and James Hill (£4.2m) present clean sheet potential and solid defensive contribution totals, while Adrien Truffert (£4.7m) provides more attacking upside via assists. Leeds options Pascal Struijk (£4.3m), Jayden Bogle (£4.4m) and Gabriel Gudmundsson (£3.8m) offer differing mixes of defensive reliability and attacking threat. Marc Cucurella (£6.0m) is the main Chelsea defender to consider despite matches with Manchester United (H) and Brighton (A) being tough for clean sheets. Nico O’Reilly (£5.0m) would be an obvious pick after a 14-point weekend and 52 points in six gameweeks, but he is an injury concern; Marc Guéhi (£5.1m) is a viable alternative if O’Reilly is ruled out.

Midfield and attack
Antoine Semenyo (£8.2m) remains an attractive midfield option despite high ownership. Rayan Cherki (£6.3m) offers a differential and Jérémy Doku (£6.4m) provides explosive potential. Cole Palmer (£10.5m) will start both Chelsea games and is on spot kicks. Bournemouth’s Marcus Tavernier (£5.4m) is notable for set-piece and penalty responsibility versus Rayan (£5.5m) and Alex Scott (£5.0m). Pascal Groß (£5.5m) and Yankuba Minteh (£5.5m) could be short-term Brighton values.

Forwards
Erling Haaland (£14.4m) is the obvious captaincy candidate across two fixtures, with particular promise in the Burnley match. João Pedro (£7.7m) is a reliable pick given Chelsea’s double and his 82 points since Liam Rosenior took charge; he faces little competition for his starting role.

Erling Haaland responded to Manchester United’s damaging result against Leeds on Monday night with a short social media post. The Manchester City forward shared a picture of Leeds goalscorer Noah Okafor on his Instagram story and added the caption “Get in.” The post arrived after the full-time whistle and was interpreted as a jibe aimed at United.

Haaland has long links to Leeds. The city is the place of his birth and the former club of his father Alf-Inge Haaland for three years prior to his Manchester City switch. Now 25, the Norway international has previously chosen not to celebrate when scoring against Leeds out of his “respect for the club.” He has also reflected on childhood loyalties: “When I was little I had a Leeds kit with Eirik Bakke on the back and a City kit with my dad’s name,” he said in 2022.

The social media exchange came on a night when Manchester United felt aggrieved by several decisions. Interim boss Carrick fumed at officials following Monday’s loss, saying refereeing choices went against the Red Devils at critical moments. United believed they should have been awarded a foul in the build-up to Okafor’s fifth-minute strike for a stray arm from Dominic Calvert-Lewin on Leny Yoro. They also viewed the later dismissal of Lisandro Martínez, for pulling Calvert-Lewin’s hair, as harsh.

“That decision was one of the worst I’ve ever seen,” Carrick seethed. “[Calvert-Lewin] can throw his arms in Licha’s face—and then he’s sent off. Shocking. ]”

Haaland’s short, two-word message and the post-match complaints from United combined to sharpen the headlines after a contentious evening of Premier League action involving Manchester City’s leading striker, Leeds goalscorer Noah Okafor and a troubled Manchester United side.

Title races define the Premier League’s drama. Below is a concise reassessment of ten campaigns from the original list, each notable for tension, upset or late drama.

One enduring example saw Manchester United overhaul a Newcastle side that led by 12 points with 15 games to go. Alan Hansen’s early-season line, ‘You can’t win anything with kids,’ framed a United side rebuilding while Eric Cantona returned from an eight-month ban. Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle slipped as United finished four points clear.

The 2023–24 fight featured Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. Liverpool faded in April as Arsenal won 16 of their last 18, but City matched them for consistency. City finished two points clear of Arsenal, with Liverpool third.

Blackburn’s title captured the essence of a surprise winner. Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton supplied the goals; a late Jamie Redknapp strike beat Blackburn on the final day while Manchester United drew, enabling Blackburn to lift the title by a single point.

The 1998–99 season produced a three-way race between Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea. Chelsea led at midseason under player-manager Gianluca Vialli, but United’s run to the treble ensured they edged Arsenal by one point on the final day.

Chelsea and Manchester United produced a tight two-horse race decided late in the campaign, with Chelsea’s 2–1 win at Old Trafford pivotal and an 8–0 final-day victory sealing the title.

The 2018–19 season was a modern classic: Manchester City finished with 98 points and Liverpool 97. City recovered from going behind on the final day to secure the title.

Leicester’s underdog triumph saw them end the campaign comfortably clear, their unbeaten run after February and Tottenham’s simultaneous slip-ups securing an extraordinary title.

Manchester City’s 2011–12 success arrived in stoppage time at the Etihad after Mario Balotelli set up Sergio Agüero to score the decisive goal following Edin Džeko’s equaliser.

The 2007–08 race involved Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal; United prevailed, finishing clear on points and goal difference after Chelsea’s late challenge.

Liverpool’s 2013–14 challenge faltered late. A 3–2 win earlier over Man City left them top with four games to go, but a slip against Chelsea and a 3–3 draw at Crystal Palace allowed Manchester City to overtake them.